# Doper women, thoughts/opinions on the new 'anti rape' device? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 10, 2005, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-women-thoughts-opinions-on-the-new-anti-rape-device/307696 "2005-06-10T04:35:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-women-thoughts-opinions-on-the-new-anti-rape-device/307696/1 "2005-06-10T04:35:13Z")
[A cite to get things rolling.](http://theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,15551307%255E2703,00.html) I’m curious about some thoughts and impressions about this product. Would you use it? Would you prefer to learn a martial art/carry a gun/what have you? Does it disturb you that there’s even a product like this on the market? Does it disturb you that there might be a need for there to be a product like this on the market? Does it seem to you that something that doesn’t prevent you from being attacked but makes your attacker easier to identify is desireable? Would you worry that your attacker might do further violence to you if he found he had this device afixed to himself? Should they instead have some sort of neurotoxin/soporific/etc injected by the barbs? I know this is a sensitive subject, but I’m somewhat curious how the ‘target demographic’ for this product would view it. ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-women-thoughts-opinions-on-the-new-anti-rape-device/307696/2 "2005-06-10T05:36:12Z")
If I were a female, and using this, I know that I’d get beaten, like _beaten_ once it achieved its purpose. I don’t think that I’d like to die instead of being raped. No rat trap for me. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Harmonix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonix)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-women-thoughts-opinions-on-the-new-anti-rape-device/307696/3 "2005-06-10T05:38:18Z")
Male here. It might let you get away when they reel back from the pain/surprise. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Harmonix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonix)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-women-thoughts-opinions-on-the-new-anti-rape-device/307696/4 "2005-06-10T05:47:59Z")
Male here The only problem I see with this is if a women was using it to get revenge on a guy. Imagine the embaressment it would cause or if a women was really evil they could claim it as “proof” of rape. Other then that. I think it’s a good product, albeit with risks. It’s probably not really needed here in the U.S, but in Africa i think it could do alot of good. Also it’s probably more effective as a psychological deterrent then it is as an actual device. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-women-thoughts-opinions-on-the-new-anti-rape-device/307696/5 "2005-06-10T08:24:44Z")
The link is taking forever to open… We did this topic a couple of months ago. Search for “FemDefence” with due allowance for spelling. ---
**Author:** ![Large\_Marge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/50afbb/32.png) [@Large\_Marge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Large_Marge)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-women-thoughts-opinions-on-the-new-anti-rape-device/307696/6 "2005-06-10T08:29:36Z")
Holy _crap_!! An estimated 1.69 million women are raped EACH YEAR in South Africa. That’s unfathomable. In [2000,](http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/uscrime.htm) 90,000 women were raped in the United States. According to the story, more than 40 percent of those raped are children and more than 65 percent are gang rapes. I don’t think I would use one here in the U.S., but if I lived in South Africa, I’d have a closetful. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-women-thoughts-opinions-on-the-new-anti-rape-device/307696/7 "2005-06-10T10:30:33Z")
No! Not just no, but HELL NO! It doesn’t solve anything, doesn’t stop anything, and again puts the onus on the woman to “protect herself”. Anal rape and oral rape are still rape. Penetration (of any kind) without consent, even with a foreign object is still rape. Vaginal rape rates may fall, do you think the others might rise? Anything which could expose you to your rapist’s blood increases your risk of HIV, especially in SA. Some rapists are smart enough to wear condoms, and I can’t see how these “barbs” would work without the possibility of bleeding. This is just not a good idea, on all sorts of levels and for all sorts of reasons. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-women-thoughts-opinions-on-the-new-anti-rape-device/307696/8 "2005-06-10T10:38:51Z")
> [@](#): > > The project Femdefence is an attempt to contribute to the debate on men’s sexual violence against women in society, using the esthetics of design, and the semiotics of marketing. > > …The project includes the creation of **an imaginary product** , which bears the project’s name. [http://www.femdefence.info/bakgr2.html](http://www.femdefence.info/bakgr2.html) ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-women-thoughts-opinions-on-the-new-anti-rape-device/307696/9 "2005-06-10T10:47:56Z")
Given the statistics in the article, I would say go for it.Not to protect yourself–but rather in the hopes that it might save rape victims 2, 3, 4, and 87 if the guy’s dick is demolished or he gets arrested when he goes to the hospital. Though, again, given the statistics the better choice might be mass immigration to Australia as your kids and bum would still be in danger. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-women-thoughts-opinions-on-the-new-anti-rape-device/307696/10 "2005-06-10T10:57:32Z")
Further reading, I realise it’s not the same item as the one I linked to…however, is it clear whether the South African version is a reality? All I can find is second-hand descriptions of it ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-women-thoughts-opinions-on-the-new-anti-rape-device/307696/11 "2005-06-10T12:59:49Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > Further reading, I realise it’s not the same item as the one I linked to…however, is it clear whether the South African version is a reality? All I can find is second-hand descriptions of it [Here’s another article](http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&art_id=vn20050607063033640C157944). It certainly seems to be a real product that’s ready to be sold to the general populace… ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-women-thoughts-opinions-on-the-new-anti-rape-device/307696/12 "2005-06-10T13:01:47Z")
Well I agree the idea is totally disgusting, and I wouldn’t use one, but like **Large Marge** says, if I lived somewhere like South Africa and had to walk in dangerous places every day, I might consider it. If it works as described I think it would give the woman a chance to run away while the rapist was howling in pain. A better alternative would be to not go to these places. But not everyone has a choice about that. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-women-thoughts-opinions-on-the-new-anti-rape-device/307696/13 "2005-06-10T13:05:28Z")
> [@FinnAgain](#): > > [Here’s another article](http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&art_id=vn20050607063033640C157944). It certainly seems to be a real product that’s ready to be sold to the general populace… I know there’s plenty of syndicated articles floating about - but all they contain are quotes from the ‘inventor’ and horrified/supportive third-party statements. When do we get to see a photograph of the device, or when does a reporter get to examine it? I’m still suspecting a hoax. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-women-thoughts-opinions-on-the-new-anti-rape-device/307696/14 "2005-06-10T13:06:56Z")
Hrm. Good point, I hope I’ve not been taken by a hoax. I’ll do more research later today, see if I can’t dig something up. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-women-thoughts-opinions-on-the-new-anti-rape-device/307696/15 "2005-06-10T13:14:34Z")
This looks suspiciously similar: [http://www.freepatentsonline.com/4167183.html](http://www.freepatentsonline.com/4167183.html) ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-women-thoughts-opinions-on-the-new-anti-rape-device/307696/16 "2005-06-10T13:14:51Z")
Very very odd… I can’t seem to find a cite that doesn’t use the same exact phrasing to lead into the article… now I wonder if this isn’t just a hoax that’s gotten too much airtime. Hrm. Confirmation would be appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-women-thoughts-opinions-on-the-new-anti-rape-device/307696/17 "2005-06-10T13:15:55Z")
Damn simupost! ~shakes fist~ Thanks **Gorilla** , that might very well be it. ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-women-thoughts-opinions-on-the-new-anti-rape-device/307696/18 "2005-06-10T13:28:55Z")
> [@chaoticdonkey](#): > > If I were a female, and using this, I know that I’d get beaten, like _beaten_ once it achieved its purpose. I don’t think that I’d like to die instead of being raped. Yeah. That’s just asking for trouble. Take this analogy: it used to be that submarines would surface, warn the shipping vessel that it was going to be sunk, and give the crew a chance to get off the ship and not die. But the British had the bright idea of hiding guns on cargo ships so that when they got the warnings, they could sink the submarines. Good thinking, because after that worked a couple of times lots of innocent people were drown when their ships had no warning. Same thing with plane hijackings—IIRC, they were fairly civilized affairs until the Israelis had the clever idea that they could capture a hijacked plane. Thanks for upping the ante, guys. This device is just fucking stupid. It will make the news a few times—if it works at all—and then women will end up far worse off than they were before. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-women-thoughts-opinions-on-the-new-anti-rape-device/307696/19 "2005-06-10T13:42:21Z")
> [@js\_africanus](#): > > Same thing with plane hijackings—IIRC, they were fairly civilized affairs until the Israelis had the clever idea that they could capture a hijacked plane. Thanks for upping the ante, guys. [During the Entebbe hijacking all but the Jewish passangers were released, and they were scheduled to be executed in 48 hours.](http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Terrorism/entebbe.html) ---
**Author:** ![MissMossie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@MissMossie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissMossie)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2005, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-women-thoughts-opinions-on-the-new-anti-rape-device/307696/20 "2005-06-10T14:27:16Z")
My first thought with this query wasn’t how pissed off the guy who had his penis bitten would be, it wasn’t how the risk for passing HIV is probably increased by this product, it wasn’t even how this is potentially not a real product. When I read the original post and news article that it linked to, I pictured myself getting ready for a party and asking myself, “Well, do I think that I might get raped tonight? Better go get my tampon-with-teeth!” I’m with **ratatoskK** , if the option is available to avoid high risk places, that’s going to be my choice. Unless it’s meant to be worn 24-7, I don’t see how practical this product would be. I don’t think many women wake up in the morning and know if they are going to be raped at somepoint during the day. -Mosquito [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-women-thoughts-opinions-on-the-new-anti-rape-device/307696.md?page=2)